Ready for the New Year

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year!  We rounded out 2013 with a couple more cultural holidays before capping it off with a New Year's celebration with close friends.  There are a handful more of cultural holidays dangling into January and February that we are excited to explore as well.  But most of all we're thankful for a fresh start and are excited about planning some travels and family outings this year.

Our Kwanzaa centerpiece (w/ a few makeshift items as we used the
resources we had available at home):  Kinara (candleholder) with
mishumaa (candles), mkeka ("straw" mat--ours was made out of
construction paper), mazao (fruit--V contributed some from her toy
kitchen), vibunzi (ear of corn for ea. child in the household), kikombe
cha umoja (unity cup--using Daddy's mate cup), and zawadi (modest
gift--we chose V's beaded bracelet.)

Our karamu (Kwanzaa feast) with Squash, Lentil, and Chickpea Stew w/
Peanuts and Cilantro; North African Spiced Carrots; Southern Kale; and
Fresh Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream

Boxing Day Feast of Ham, Smashed Garlic Peas, and
Parsnip and Potato Hash Browns.

Helping prepare a Breakfast Casserole for our NYE
overnight guests.  V cut the chicken sausages and
learned how to crack eggs

Cardamom Pistachio Rice Pudding for NYE dessert--whoever found the
whole almond in their cup will have luck all year. 

Cooking down a pot of Southern Style Collards for
our auspicious NYE menu.

Lots of lucky foods on our table:  Hoppin' John,
Collards, Lentil Soup, Pork, Fish (Herring), and
other offerings to round of the evening with good friends

And we welcomed 2013 with our neighbors grilling
weinies and sipping champagne in the park at noon on
New Year's Day.